Periodically, Formula One talks that it needs to rein in costs. With the demise of the Marussia F1 team and Caterham's administrator's desperately seeking a buyer to continue their campaign into 2015, we got to thinking how best to reduce burgeoning costs to the teams. Bear in mind only Ferrari have been around since F1's inception in 1950. Manufacturers have come and gone, and will come again when economics suit. Teams have come and gone. This will always happen. It might be motorsport, but business is business. However, if monetary pressures are reduced, then the teams' longevity will be enhanced. So how is this best achieved?
    The development cycle in F1 is unrelenting. Recent years saw teams operating their windtunnels 24/7 utilising staff on a shift basis. The governing body wisely decreed that they shutdown their factories for 8 hours a day in the name of costs. Despite this, the richer F1 teams still upgrade their cars on a race by race basis in the hope of gaining incremental advantages over their opposition. It's at the point of race team members carrying smaller parts in their personal luggage to alleviate freight costs for the flyaway races. Does the governing body need to put their foot down to rein in costs?
    2015 sees F1 embark on their longest championship to date with a potential 21 events. Why doesn't the governing body mandate when upgrades can be fitted to the cars? Instead of teams tweaking their cars on a race by race basis, why not allow them to fit upgrades say every 4 or 5 events? A homologation within a homologation if you will. This could be timed to coincide with the limited in season testing that's still available. The teams would still be free to develop their cars as aggressively as they wish through simulators, CFD and windtunnel testing within their factory enclaves, but only allowed to fit their upgrades for race meets at the mandated time. Sure they'd still be producing bespoke components for their factory models, but not all would end up on the race cars for each and every event, thus reducing their manufacturing costs. Not to mention they'd be manufacturing less spares of their new parts as there's no "racing incidents" in a windtunnel or simulator. 
    From a fan's perspective, this could also be an exciting prospect. What if teams introduce various upgrades on their factory models, but when they fit them to the race cars at the designated time, they find that it doesn't correlate to the actual race car? The time between race car upgrades could possibly cover the last 4 or 5 factory model upgrades.The richer teams may be a number of upgrades down the track on the factory model than when the last real upgrade was fitted to the race car forcing them to play catch up before the next upgrade is allowed. There's also the opposite scenario, whereas a team could make a substantial gain. This could also benefit a mid-field team who get their upgrade spot on. Food for thought isn't it? 
     
                                     Merry Christmas to all our loyal friends and supporters. Ciao....   

    Recent media scrutiny in Formula One has suggested that the extent of information passed on to drivers during a race through radio transmissions has exceeded the accepted level and spirit of the sporting regulation that states that a driver must drive the car alone and unaided. Numerous sensors on the cars relay temperature and performance data to the teams via car to pit telemetry in real time, allowing the teams to constantly inform their drivers about managing their cars to achieve the best race results. Is too much information being passed on to drivers, especially regarding an opponent's performance? 
    This has prompted the governing body to revise this sporting regulation and subsequently introduce rule changes outlining clear boundaries regarding radio transmissions to drivers. Teams can no longer inform their drivers of suggested driving lines, kerbs to avoid, set up parameters for various corners, gear selection, braking points and optimum use of the overtake button. More importantly, drivers compared to another driver can only know their lap times. No more are they allowed to know an opponent's comparable or absolute sector times, their speed in corners, gear selection, throttle and brake applications, use of DRS, and therefore where an opponent may be gaining or where they're losing time themselves. This all came in with immediate effect for the recent Singapore GP. 
    It's the further restrictions to come in next year that we're excited about. The governing body wanted to introduce these in time for Singapore, however the teams all agreed it was too much to adopt in one foul swoop. By the time the lights go out at Albert Park next year there will be a ban on radio messages regarding car performance. The teams can no longer inform their drivers of things such as clutch settings and how many burnouts to do at the end of their warm up lap to bring everything up to temperature for the start, what engine maps to use at various points of a race, when to harvest energy, when to save fuel, various temperatures and overall health of the car. 
    While a lot of this can be negated through pre-race briefings and steering wheel displays, there's always an unknown factor in F1. What happens during a race if the team detect an issue with the car? Drivers may be blissfully unaware of a potential issue and therefore cannot compensate and may suddenly retire. Could we have the situation where a frontrunner makes a poor start, then having to play catch up runs a more aggressive engine map and richer setting for too long, all the time not knowing if they'll run out of fuel or overstress the car and not see the chequered flag? Without the benefit of the team relaying the telemetry back to the driver, will we see drivers who are already good tyre managers and brake manipulators come to the fore? Does this allow a mid-field team to spring a surprise win? 
    Can we expect the unexpected?
                                                        Cheers....
    
     

    With Mercedes seemingly waltzing away into the distance with both F1 championships, the state of play at the halfway point of the season suggests the competition between team mates is as potent as ever.
    At the top of the standings you have Mercedes winning all but one race, but star drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are fighting tooth and nail to gain the ascendency. With just 4 points separating the two pre-Hockenheim and as yet no apparent team orders, let's hope Mercedes continue to let them slug it out until season's end. Will one get the jump on the other, or will this battle run all the way to Abu Dhabi?
    Aussie Daniel Ricciardo is smiling his way with ease at graduating to the big time with Red Bull. D. Ricc. seems to be exploiting more of the new car's potential than 4-time world champ Sebastian Vettel, and at this stage seems to be quite simply outracing his champion team mate. Big test at the Seb-friendly Hockenheim though.
    That coveted third F1 crown may have to be placed on hold for a while longer for Fernando Alonso. Fernando always extracts the maximum from the package available and has scored points in every race. But with all available seats filled in other top teams for years to come, is Fernando's best bet to stay put at Ferrari and hope they can turn things around? The much vaunted rivalry with Kimi Raikkonen has not materialised, but let's hope Kimi can soon fight at the front. Ferrari need Kimi to push the team forward.
    Isn't it marvellous to see Williams fighting for podiums again? What a star they have in Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, who has accumulated over double the points than his very experienced team mate, Felipe Massa. How soon will we see Williams on the top step of the podium again, and which driver will it be?
    Despite flashes of brilliance from Force India's Sergio Perez, team mate Nico Hulkenberg is another driver quietly amassing points in every race, and sits just behind Vettel in the standings. How long before a top team demands the services of Hulkenberg?
    Over at Woking, McLaren have a talented rookie in Kevin Magnussen who is pushing Jenson Button. Although it's obvious they are not fighting where they want to be, McLaren will bounce back. But when?
    The second year at Scuderia Toro Rosso is always a make or break year, and for Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne, it's no different. Despite leading by a mere 3 points, he has been largely overshadowed by rookie Russian sensation, Daniil Kvyat. Who's going to win that battle and possibly prolong their F1 careers?
    Front runners last year to languishing near the rear this year sustaining a raft of reliability issues, that's Lotus. Romain Grosjean is slowly imposing his authority over Pastor Maldonado. However they are close enough in the standings that a decent result could reverse the order.
    Marussia is a team on the improve. They provide a reliable car and are slowly clawing their way up the grid. Brit Max Chilton is still bringing the car home banking a tonne of data, whilst Ferrari Academy driver Jules Bianchi scored the team's first championship points at none other than Monaco. Will they continue to improve and regularly trouble the midfield? 
    Independant Swiss team Sauber are renown for producing tidy F1 cars, but this year they seem to be struggling. Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez have been unable to fully show their wares, but that doesn't mean they're not pushing each other to score the team's first points for 2014.
    Swedish rookie Marcus Ericsson is pushing his Caterham further than team mate Kamui Kobayashi. Sure, Caterham have had their fair share of reliability issues and are currently undergoing restructuring with their new owners. But will we see Kamui display that trademark flair that announced his F1 arrival with Toyota and overpower Ericsson?
    So there's a quick half term report. If the remaining races are as fascinating as the first half, can't wait for the second half of the season. Lights about to go out at Hockenheim. Got to go. Cheers.... 
    

    The hills were alive in the Styrian Mountains. Formula One returned to Austria and the majestic Red Bull Ring at Spielberg for the first time since 2003. A visually stunning location, steeped in history, combined with a natural amphitheatre and great racing, certainly makes for a great TV spectacle. Selling out the event quite early, we cannot fathom the electric atmosphere that must of been prevalent as huge crowds filled the hills surrounding the circuit. Makes you wish you were there, right?
    Formula One often states that it needs to focus on promoting the brand and enhancing the viewing spectacle with the motive of boosting TV audiences, trackside crowd numbers, and therefore revenue. After watching the Austrian GP, we got to thinking about what factors would best achieve this. Is it simply a case of resurrecting traditional F1 circuits that are bloated with history? Are there other factors to consider?
    In recent years, newer F1 frontiers have emerged, but some have dropped off the calendar. Turkey and Korea spring to mind. Why is that? It all starts with the circuit itself, or more importantly, its location. While traditional circuits possess an inherent advantage and usually attract large crowds, the circuits that also seem to draw big crowds are located near the CBD of a large city, rendering them easily accessible to trackside fans, thus creating their own traditions. Think Canada - Montreal, Spain - Barcelona, Hungary - Budapest, Brazil - Sao Paulo, Australia - Melbourne and the spectacular night race in Singapore.
    Television is all about providing the home viewer with an experience as close as you can get to actually being trackside. If you're contemplating attending another country's GP, which one would you rather attend? One that's not readily accessible, with accommodation a distance away and half empty grandstands, or one that's bristling with an enthusiastic energy from the cheering punters passionately waving their flags at a jam-packed circuit? But if you can't attend, which one will you definitely watch next year on TV? One factor fuels the other.
    Intermittently, F1 teasingly suggests that the spectacle could be improved by making the drivers and F1 paddock area more accessible to the fans. One thing we'd like to see is a bit more jazzing up of the podium celebrations. Has the podium become a little stagnant with a bit of champagne spraying and a token interview? After all, it's a major achievement. We'd love to see a combination of the old and the new. In the old department, we'd love to see the return of laurel wreaths and floral presentations, but logically you can't cover up the sponsor's logos. In the new department, whilst we're not suggesting a live rock'n'roll style driver introduction a la Nascar All-Star Race; that wouldn"t work for F1; but a bit of pyrotechnics and the odd confetti cannon would provide the podium with a more celebratory vibe. Let us know what you think.
    F1 moves on to its spiritual home at Silverstone for the British GP. Big crowds will ensure an amazing atmosphere and for the first time since 2003 can access the infield of the circuit. Will anyone topple Mercedes? Makes you wish you were there, right?
                 Cheers....    

    With the 2014 Formula One championship approaching the halfway point and the European season in full swing, early season punter grievances regarding engine note or lack thereof seem rather insignificant after some scintillating racing has kept us thoroughly enthralled. Bahrain was simply edge of the chair viewing. Wheel to wheel right through the grid. Team mate battling team mate. The best race in eons. F1 racing at its finest.
    Which leads us to last weekend's fascinating Canadian GP, especially exciting for all F1 fans Down Under. With what seemed like yet another Mercedes whitewash, brake issues saw Lewis Hamilton retire and team mate Nico Rosberg slow, blowing the race wide open with 20 odd laps to go. The one-stopping Force India of Sergio Perez was being harried for third by the faster Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, closely followed by Williams' Felipe Massa. An opportunistic move by Ricciardo around the outside going into Turn 1, saw the Aussie despatch Perez with 5 laps to go, leaving him to chase down the wounded Rosberg. With DRS at his disposal, Ricciardo overtook Rosberg into the last chicane to take the lead with only 2 laps to go. Despite finishing under Safety Car conditions due to a major crash between the squabbling Perez and Massa (both drivers are OK), Ricciardo emphatically claimed his first F1 race victory. Well done D. Ricc. We were certainly glad we got up at 3.30am to watch the race.
    Question is. Can Daniel Ricciardo capitalise on his Canadian victory and sustain his impressive performance throughout the remainder of the season? Will he become a frequent visitor to the top step of the podium? At the moment he's out-qualifying and out-racing Red Bull team mate and 4-time champ Vettel, but will he handle the increased pressure as the season ramps up? He's scarcely made a mistake so far.
    Red Bull's home race is next at the newly revamped Red Bull Ring at Spielberg, Austria. Sure to be a massive Sebastian Vettel contingent there. Good test. Go D. Ricc.
            Cheers....
  

    The world has lost a true gentleman and the finest race car driver Australia has ever produced with the passing of Sir Jack Brabham. Admired by contemporaries, revered by fans worldwide, a true legend of motorsport.
    In terms of motorsport, Sir Jack Brabham achieved all there is to achieve. Growing up in the Sydney suburb of Penshurst, the son of a greengrocer was an accomplished mechanic and engineer at a young age. Despite his desire to become a pilot, his mechanical prowess meant he was commissioned as an aircraft mechanic during WWII. After the war, Sir Jack successfully raced midgets that he constructed on dirt ovals from 1948. As his need to quench his motor racing thirst grew, a meeting with John Cooper saw Sir Jack embark to the UK which resulted in a Formula One debut in 1955. His maiden GP victory came at the season opening race at none other than Monaco in 1959. At that season's finale at Sebring, he famously pushed his out of fuel Cooper over the line to clinch 4th place and the first of his three F1 World Championships. 1960 saw Sir Jack garner his second championship driving for Cooper and is widely credited with being the catalyst for the revolutionary placement and subsequent development of the rear-engined race car. By the early 60's every F1 car was rear-engined.
    Perhaps Sir Jack is remembered most as the only F1 driver to win a championship in a car of his own design. Imagine that happening today? By preparing earlier and adapting better than the opposition to the new 3.0 litre formula, Sir Jack achieved his third championship in 1966 in the stunning Brabham BT-19.
    Who could ever forget after growing weary of media jibes regarding his age after turning 40, "Black Jack" hobbling to the grid at the Dutch GP in a false beard brandishing a cane resembling Old Father Time, then after laughing opponents jokingly help him into his pole position Brabham, proceeds to win the race?
    Sir Jack Brabham retired from F1 racing at the end of the 1970 season. That's a career that raced against such eponymous F1 names like Fangio, Moss, Clark, Hill, Stewart and Rindt. In 126 starts Sir Jack acquired 14 wins, 13 pole positions and won 3 F1 World Championships. Not only that, he was F2 champ in 1966, 4 time European F2 champ, British Saloon Car champ in 1965, competed at the Indy 500 and excelled in sportscars, in between coming back home to win the Australian Grand Prix a number of times. Sir Jack was awarded Australian Of The Year in 1966, an OBE in 1967, the first to be knighted for his services to motorsport in 1979, and in recent years, declared a National Treasure. Amazing!
    There is no doubt Sir Jack Brabham will be missed, but a life as remarkable as this and the influence he's had will be celebrated. His legacy lives on. Sons Gary, Geoff and David all have lengthy careers in motorsport. Now Sir Jack's grandsons Matthew and Sam are forging their own careers through Indy Lights and British Formula Ford. You only have to attend any historic open wheel event to see in all their resplendent glory any one of the 500+ Brabham race cars churned out in the 60's by the Brabham team. Sir Jack would of had a hand in all of them.
    
    Vale Sir Jack Brabham. 2/4/1926 - 19/5/2014. Forever remembered.
    

    Although it's somewhat difficult to compare eras in Formula One racing, we find it fascinating to admire various cars from times when they were once the best F1 could produce.
    At the recent Sydney SpeedFest at Sydney Motorsport Park we were fortunate enough to see up close and on circuit iconic F1 cars from bygone times. Cars from teams like Brabham, Arrows, Surtees, Ferrari, Benetton, Beatrice Lola-Haas and Williams, once piloted by names like Denny Hulme, Alan Jones, Stefan Johannsen, Gerhard Berger and Jack Brabham. 
    One thing that stuck in our mind though was how exposed the driver's head is. This is especially noticable on the 80s F1 cars, where the driver is also so far forward that their feet must surely be in front of the front wheel line. How dangerous is that? 
    These days, modern day F1 cars development is at staggering levels to the point where the cars subtly change shape on a race by race basis. Although the head is still vulnerable, thank goodness drivers are now much better protected in the cockpit than in years gone by. 

    
    
    Formula One has arrived in Europe where people often say the season really begins, as most teams traditionally arrive with major upgrades. Status quo was maintained though, as Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg once again creamed the opposition at Catalunya in Spain. Even at this early stage of the season, can anyone see Mercedes being toppled for this year's constructor's championship? Sure is refreshing to see Lewis and Nico racing each other though. 
    Congratulations to Australia's Daniel Ricciardo for managing the race to bring his Red Bull home solidly in third position to record his maiden podium in F1. Well done D. Ricc. Keep 'em coming.
    Finally, did anyone notice how nervous a lot of cars looked in Spain? Is this because they didn't test their new packages pre-season at Catalunya and were therefore lacking relevant data? Perhaps it's a case of better tyre management? Could it be because there's so much torque in the new powertrains, that the drivers are having to learn about steering inputs and throttle control all over again? Let us know what you think.
    The great leveller's next....Monaco. 

    The 2014 Australian Formula One Grand Prix has been run and won, with Mercedes' Nico Rosberg cruising to an emphatic victory followed home by Red Bull's local hero Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen. Not two hours since the chequered flag dropped however, than the bubble burst for Ricciardo, Red Bull and every Aussie who painstakingly rode every lap with them, as the stewards announced that the fuel flow rate had been exceeded, and thus Ricciardo disqualified. Ouch! No doubt all Aussie fans hope that Red Bull's appeal will be upheld, or at the very least, since Ricciardo himself has already been absolved from any wrong doing, be allowed to keep his points. Fingers crossed.
    The much publicised technical changes which require 2014-spec F1 cars to adopt 1.6litre V6 turbo powertrains with extensive Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) have resulted in a vastly different engine note, and have left some fans pining for the sound of the high-revving, screaming 2.4litre V8's of previous years. For some punters, the very essence of F1 is the timbre combined with the intensity of the sound these intricate machines produce. But is there a bigger picture that needs discussion? In the larger scheme of things, is the sound really that important?
    F1 has often been criticised for not being relevant to road car manufacturing, whilst not placing enough importance on their environmental impact. In recent years road car manufacturing has been delving into the world of hybrid technology, whilst F1 has persisted with normally-aspirated engines. Now, with F1 embracing hybrids and therefore the best automotive brains developing the technology, expect the level of efficiency and performance to increase exponentially, which will filter down to road car manufacturing. Remember traction control, launch control, active suspension, carbon fibre? All pioneered by F1 and prevalent in road car manufacturing today. F1 has also in recent years incorporated bio-fuels into the mix. Now in 2014 with ERS providing a third of their power, F1 cars are carrying a third less fuel to cover the same race distance. You don't have to be mathematician to understand this, just like you don't need to be an environmentalist to know that this is a step in the right direction with emissions greatly reduced. Who's to bet against F1 pioneering full electric cars in the future? There'd be next to no engine sound then.
    So what's in a sound? Are some fans awarding too much emphasis on the "old" F1 sound? Do F1's new leaner, more efficient powertrains with reduced emissions condone rendering the traditional F1 sound the scapegoat for progress? Send formulafrontrow.com your opinions and views via email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment.
    Besides, wasn't it nice to hear racing nuances we don't normally get to experience? Tyre squeal, throttle blips, brake lock-ups, the high frequency whooshing of the turbo, clear radio comms and trackside commentary, or the amazing cheering Melbourne crowd going ballistic when D. Ricc. brought the Albert Park house down?
    Malaysia's next. Let's go.... 

    Nervousness, anticipation, excitement. All feelings felt by everyone from drivers, team personnel, media, promoters through to the fans themselves as Formula One is about to commence another bumper season at Melbourne's stunning, lakeside street circuit at Albert Park. 
    Never more so than this year as this will be the first time the new era F1 cars have run in anger. The regulation changes this year are extensive and has effectively meant that this year's chariots are designed from scratch, rather than evolutions of previous year's cars. We covered the changes before (see Archives Aug. 2013), but in short - 1.6 litre V6 Turbos with extensive Energy Recovery Systems, single exhaust with no bodywork behind, fuel capacity and fuel flow limits, 8 forward gears, lower rear beam wing outlawed, and lower noses brandishing narrower front wings. All designed to reduce downforce and promote fuel efficiency. With some teams, including world champions Red Bull, struggling at pre-season Winter testing from problems ranging from hydraulic leaks, electrical failures, and most notably, cooling issues, the focus at Albert Park will be on reliability. Any brave souls want to tip a winner?
    In the past in our Australian F1 GP previews we've suggested some great spots to visit in Melbourne, plus outlined some excellent vantage points to watch F1 cars around Albert Park. This year we thought we'd try something different. 
    A lot of people ask us how we deal with photographing motorsport through the safety catch fencing at street circuits? Quite often, "the fence is in focus and distracts you from the action", they say. "Do you use manual focus", they ask?
    Whilst we take great pride in our photos and no exposure you see on formulafrontrow.com is edited whatsoever, we certainly don't profess to be professionals. We simply love motorsport and sharing our photos, as an incentive to you to attend events of your choice. 
    Bear in mind the tips we share are tailored to punters utilising d-SLR cameras. If you're using a point-and-shoot or a (ahem) camera phone, well, err, good luck. 
    Although the auto modes and scene preset modes work quite well on a d-SLR, it doesn't give you much control over how you want the shot to look. We shoot in Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or full Manual Mode. For motorsport, we predominantly shoot in Shutter Priority. Remember a fast shutter speed (typically 1/640s or faster) will freeze the motion and blur the background, and a slow shutter speed (typically 1/500s or slower) will blur the motion and give the illusion of speed.
    Now, let's deal with fence. Here's one technique we hope you find helpful. Have your camera's focus set to Auto. More importantly, have the focus mode set to 3-D Tracking. When the shutter release button is pressed halfway, have it set so that it only locks the exposure, not the focus as well. Therefore, you can exploit the number of focus points your camera possesses when you pan the camera. When ready to shoot, meter the light. You do this by simply pointing your camera in the direction you want to shoot to get a reading on your display. Next, adjust your shutter to your desired speed. Now, the tricky bit. Through the viewfinder, line up your shot through one of the holes on the fence on a piece of circuit that you know the racing will pass over and press the shutter release button halfway. At the appropriate time, simply fire the shutter and the 3-D Tracking will keep the racing in focus, especially useful if you choose to pan. Voila! Happy hunting.
    Any motorsport photography tips to share? Let us know at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment. Maybe you'd like to let us know how Aussie Daniel Ricciardo will fare in his home GP on debut for champions Red Bull Racing?
    Melbourne, here we come....